Gateway Free Will Baptist Church
Virginia Beach, VA

Thursday Morning

9:30 a.m. Registration
10:15 a.m. Prayer Time, led by Dr. Bruce Barnes
10:45 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. Worship Service
Music: Gateway Christian College
Message: J.D. Norris, “The Preeminence of Christ”
12:00 p.m. Lunch

Thursday Afternoon

1:00 p.m. Worship Service
Music Free Will Baptist Bible College
Message: Dr. Rodger Castle, “Preeminence of Christ in Personal Life”
2:00 p.m. Worship Service
Music: Gateway Christian College
Message: Rev. David Sexton, “Preeminence of Christ in Preaching”
3:15 p.m. Executive Board Meeting (Moderator, Asst. Moderator, Clerk, Treasurer, and Promotional Secretary)

Thursday Evening

6:30 p.m. Registration
7:00 p.m. Business Session
Hymn
Welcome by Host Pastor
Welcome by Clerk
Introduction of Officers
Appointment of Committees
Nominating Committee
Registration and Credentials Committee
Announcements
Adjourn to Worship Service
7:15 p.m. Worship Service
Music: Gateway Free Will Baptist Church
Message: Rev. Richard Barnes, “Preeminence of Christ in the Family”

Friday Morning

8:00 a.m. Registration
8:15 a.m. Prayer
8:30 a.m. Devotion: Rev. Tim McCreight
9:00 a.m. Business Session
Reading of Minutes
Report of Credentials Committee
Other Reports (Moderator’s Discretion)
Announcements
10:50 a.m. Break
11:00 a.m. Worship Service
Music: Free Will Baptist Bible College
Message: Rev. Stanley Waddell, “Preeminence of Christ in Ministry”
12:00 p.m. Lunch

Friday Afternoon

1:00 p.m. Moderator’s Devotion: Rev. Paul Collins
1:15 p.m. Business Session
Report of Treasurer
Report of Executive Board
Report of the Promotional Secretary
Report of Home Missions
Report of General Board Member
Report of Camp Jacob
Report of Gateway Christian College
Report of Harvest Child-Care Ministry
Report of FWB Home for Children
Report of National Departments
Reports of Other Ministries
Old Business
New Business
Report of Nominating Committee
Election of Officers
Election of National Delegates
Memorial Prayer
Rising vote of thanks to the host church
Announcements
Adjournment

After the retreat, if you have the time to stay a little longer, you will be able to enjoy skeet shooting right there on the property. You will need to be bring you own shotgun and shells. See below any further information you will need. Make plans now to attend!

Please contact Bob Brown for further information and to confirm your plans to attend (Phone: 540.972.5571 or Email: pastor@heritagefwb.net). You will need to bring your own toiletries, bed linens, etc. The cabins are heated.

$40.00
Bring toiletries, bed linens, etc.
Cabins are heated!

March 23: Registration: 3:00 – 6:00 p.m.; Friday dinner: 6:30 p.m.; Service: 7:30 p.m.
March 24: Breakfast, two sessions, and lunch; Skeet Shooting available after lunch for those who wish to stay (bring shotgun and shells).

Camp Rapidan
559 Baptist Camp Drive
Rochelle, VA 22738

We have worked out a special with a local motel, the Sleep Inn Lake Wright. Here is some specific information you might need if you want to book at the special rates for the conference. We have both King and Doubles blocked for the nights of June 13 and 14, but the reservations will need to be made before May 13, 2012. The rates on the rooms are $89.00 for up to two people; there is an additional charge of $10.00 for each person added to the room. They are providing our conference attendees a special breakfast upgrade which will be to the full hot breakfast buffet.

In order to get the special pricing and breakfast upgrade, you will need to mention that you are with the VIRGINIA FREE WILL BAPTIST group. Of course, other motels are available in the area, but the prices are somewhat higher.

SLEEP INN LAKE WRIGHT
6280 Northampton Blvd.
Norfolk, VA 23502
(757) 461-6251
(757) 461-5925
GM.VA059@choicehotels.com

Directions are as follows:

TO THE MOTEL: Take Exit 282 off I-64 to US 13 North. The motel is on the left at the traffic light. It is right next to Lake Wright Golf Course.

TO THE CHURCH FROM THE MOTEL: Come out of the parking light of the motel at the traffic light; go straight onto Wesleyan Drive (go 1.3 miles); turn right onto Diamond Springs Road (go .5 miles); turn right onto Newtown Road (go .9 miles); turn left on Virginia Beach Blvd.; Gateway will be 1/4 mile on the right. The entire distance from the motel to the church is 4.6 miles and will only take about 9 minutes.

Make your plans now to attend the state meeting on June 14-15 at Gateway Free Will Baptist Church, Virginia Beach. See the news article about the motel booked for our meeting.

The next place to travel to is the Holy Place, the first compartment of the tabernacle. Coming into the Holy Place is only possible after the other places have been approved and passed (the door, the altar of burnt offering, and the laver). The believer now comes into that special holy place of relationships when he or she is in Christ. Through the veil of His flesh, we have the right and privilege to enter that holy tabernacle. This is the way that you find yourself in Christ. One comes through the door by means of the work of the High Priest, Who is Himself the perfect Lamb of God slain from the foundation of the world, having sins laid on Him and Him carrying them away never to be seen again, and Him voluntarily laying down His perfect life along with total consecration to God. To step now within the veil, we find ourselves in that special, separated, sanctified life. That life is revealed here because…

WE HAVE THE HOLY SPIRIT (represented in the lampstand).
The lampstand, of course, is typical of the Holy Spirit for it is fueled with the pure olive oil and its purpose is to burn, never letting its light go out. It burns from seven branches which mirrors the seven Spirits of God mentioned in Revelation and that corresponds to the seven-fold and perfected characteristics of the Spirit revealed in the Book of Isaiah. Once we are in Christ, it is most certainly a holy place, but it is a place where the illuminating light and presence of the Spirit ever burns and will never go out. What it burns in perfection is the light that leads our life in Christ. Without His light, there would be darkness, but there can be no darkness where the light of His Spirit shines! His light is truth. It is in this relationship with Christ that…

WE HAVE PERFECT FELLOWSHIP (represented in the table of showbread).
The Table of Shewbread was a place where twelve loaves were placed and these represented the whole of God’s people and them in fellowship together, all in fellowship with God. But where is that fellowship? In the Holy Place! True fellowship in Christ is not found outside of Him, but only IN Him. But that fellowship is not merely the fellowship we have one with another, it is the closeness that God’s people have with Him, together with Him. Remember, this is the Holy Place. The only basis of our fellowship together is our fellowship in Him. In the Holy Place, also…

WE HAVE AUDIENCE WITH GOD (represented in the altar of incense).
The Altar of Incense was right on the wall that divided the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. In fact, so close was this altar to the second veil that some Scripture writers speak of it as being part of the Most Holy Place. The fire comes from the coals brought from the altar of burnt offerings (sacrifice), and it is the firing of the incense that which produces a sweet smell. And once a year, the blood of the sacrifice was put on its horns just as a reminder as to why the incense had the right to burn there—because of the acceptable and accepted sacrifice. The Altar of Incense is typical of the prayer of God’s people.

Re 8:3 And another angel came and stood at the altar, having a golden censer; and there was given unto him much incense, that he should offer it with the prayers of all saints upon the golden altar which was before the throne.

The prayers of God’s people are something close to the heart of God, and the prayers that go up ever before Him are a sweet-smelling savor to Him. As He breathes in with sweet smell of the prayers of His people, He is ready to breathe out with His spoken Word to answer those prayers. Unless He breathes in, He will not breathe out. Our prayers go in, and His answer comes out. The only reason the smell goes up is because there are coals that fire it from the sacrificial offering. Without sacrifice, and a sacrifice accepted, there would be no coals to fire the prayers of His people.

Because we are in Christ, we have the illuminating Holy Spirit. We have fellowship with God and with God’s people. We have an audience with God, one that is pleasing to Him and helpful to us. These three things are the most significant and important blessings of being within the tabernacle, in Christ.

December 8, 2011

Board Postpones Missionary Deployments

 Antioch, TN—“The hardest task I’ve had thus far as general director,” Clint Morgan stated, “most certainly was calling missionaries who expected to leave the States in January and tell them their departure is on hold.”

 Following the December board meeting, the general director made phone calls to Tim and Kristi Johnson (Spain), Heath and Joni (creative access), Mick and Rachel (creative access), and Jennifer (creative access). All of them expected to depart over the next few weeks. Also told to delay travel plans were Steve and Becky Riggs (France), Darren and Dana (creative access), David and Angie (creative access), Sam and June McVay (Spain), and Dale and Sandra Bishop (Japan).

 In an ongoing effort to end financial shortfalls and rebuild cash reserves, the board voted to postpone sending all new missionaries—as well as veteran missionaries currently on stateside assignment—to their fields of service until “cash reserves reach a sustainable level of 10% of the operational budget.” The board voted to implement this strategy as an ongoing standard policy. “At any point that cash reserves fall below 10% of the operating budget,” stated Board Chairman Danny Williams, “deployment of missionaries will be halted so that those already stateside can assist in raising the funds to keep all other missionaries at their stations.”

Exceptions may be made on an individual basis with the approval of both the general director and the board chairman if a failure to return to the field of service will result in a legal, career-altering situation. “All those currently slated for stateside assignment in 2012 will still return to the States,” affirmed General Director Clint Morgan. “We need all hands on deck, sharing the marvelous work God is doing through Free Will Baptists and encouraging our people to pray and give.” Scheduled to return for stateside assignment during the first quarter of 2012 are Kenneth and Rejane Eagleton (Brazil), Jaimie and Tammy Lancaster (Uruguay), and Shane and Joy (creative access).

“We are immensely grateful for those who have been staunch supporters of the Mission throughout the years and especially during the financial crisis that has plagued the global economy,” emphasized Sam McVay, missionary to Spain and interim development director. “However, we must have more churches and individuals to become sacrificially involved in taking the gospel to the ends of the earth.”

–
Deborah St. Lawrence
Communications Manager
Free Will Baptist International Missions
3606 Mt. View Road, Antioch, TN 37013
615-760-6125
www.fwbgo.com

The National Association of Free Will Baptists does not have an official policy regarding interracial couples because it has not been an issue in the denomination. The Free Will Baptist Treatise neither condemns nor disallows marriage between a man and woman of different races.

Free Will Baptists have historically championed the rights and dignity of all people, regardless of race. The denomination’s leadership in the abolition movement is evidence of that fact. Free Will Baptists currently spend millions of dollars each year to take the good news of Jesus Christ to people of every race.

Many interracial couples are members of Free Will Baptist churches. They are loved, accepted, and respected by their congregations. It is unfair and inaccurate to characterize the denomination as racist.

It is our understanding that steps are being taken by the church in question to reverse its decision. We encourage the church to follow through with this action. Leaders from the local conference and state association in Kentucky are working with the church to resolve this matter.

Contact Executive Secretary Keith Burden: keith@nafwb.org

In order to reach the Most Holy Place, the high priest would journey further within the temple grounds beyond the Altar of Burnt Offerings. Facing him would be an item calling for personal assessment in order to identify his need for cleansing; it is the Laver. The laver was made of the women’s looking glasses, and it stood upon a footing.

 Ex 38:8 And he made the laver of brass, and the foot of it of brass, of the lookingglasses of the women assembling, which assembled at the door of the tabernacle of the congregation.

Ex 30:17 ¶ And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying,

 18 Thou shalt also make a laver of brass, and his foot also of brass, to wash withal: and thou shalt put it between the tabernacle of the congregation and the altar, and thou shalt put water therein.

 19 For Aaron and his sons shall wash their hands and their feet thereat:

 20 When they go into the tabernacle of the congregation, they shall wash with water, that they die not; or when they come near to the altar to minister, to burn offering made by fire unto the LORD:

 21 So they shall wash their hands and their feet, that they die not: and it shall be a statute for ever to them, even to him and to his seed throughout their generations.

Therefore, the necessity before entering the Holy Place was to wash upon the laver with the water it held. The laver revealed what the person looked like as he approached it, and he would have to step up on it in order to be cleansed. Then, he would have to use the water it held to perform the needed cleansing. Consequently, the same item that showed his reflection became the means of his support and the source of his cleansing!

What one must realize is that in order to reach the tabernacle of God’s presence, one must arrive by the foundation, source, and supply of the laver’s cleansing. For cleansing, Jesus IS our laver because He is the Word!

The laver is a biblical type for the Word of God, and it is the Word of God that mirrors to every person his or her candid appearance: a testimony both to self and to God. There is no avoiding the truth it reveals. One can argue that the mirror is producing a distorted image; however, it simply reflects what is placed before it. The mirror will not lie because it cannot but reflect reality to the eyes of the one approaching it. It reflects accurately and indiscriminately.

Being the express image of God’s person and existing as the Living Word, Jesus is truth. For our own good, He will show us the truth about ourselves, and we desperately need that truth regardless of what it is. There can be no expectation of entering the Most Holy Place of His presence for fellowship with a corupt and unacceptable appearance. He will not allow that to happen; yet, He leaves us the responsibility to see it just as He reveals it. He expects us to be involved in cleaning ourselves up with the means of cleansing He provides within the laver. That is, we must come to the Written Word to receive the Living Word which will cleanse us from all sin (1 John 1:7).

While seeing ourselves for who we are, we still have to stand on His cleansing work in order to be acceptable in the Father’s sight. The foundation on which we stand also helps us see ourselves for who are. This foundation also holds the means of making sure that we are actually clean.

 Ps 119:9 ¶ Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.

Eph 5:25 … even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;

 26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word….

How beautiful a picture of the importance that God’s Word holds for humanity. Just like with the laver, a person can get a true reflection of his need for cleansing from Scripture’s message. As a result, there should be thankfulness for that which accurately portrays his greatest need: a need to be cleansed from sin. Just as with the laver, people will find solid footing on the Word of God, a basis which establishes a relationship with God through cleansing. And just as with the laver, the Word of God holds the fountain that cleanses from all sin. Without the laver (the cleansing), no entrance into the Most Holy Place would be possible. And Jesus is Our Cleansing!

Am I exaggerating? Consider that churches are changing their approach to methods of non-confrontational evangelism, a lessening of personal and ecclesiastical standards, a worship style that mirrors worldly sounds and appearances, and a message that is whitewashed and weaker than those of previous generations. Blanket statements? Not in my opinion; I believe the survey overall is appropriate.

The point is this: There is only one way of defining what Christianity is–and, therefore, the godliness that comes from it–and that is letting the Bible tell us. The Bible is objective truth, the ultimate source for all wisdom and knowledge of God. Anything other than that is a subjective approach to truth discovery, a form of supposed truth based on one’s reasoning, feeling, or rationalization. That is why such a “form of godliness” denies the power of what real godliness is! That is why people who follow this line of subjective reasoning are never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. They have left the truth for a convenient lie, one which their minds have concocted and one which they gladly welcome.

Regardless of the issue, the Bible is not silent. The wisdom we need from God is present in His Word either through command or principle, and that wisdom will be found if we look for it. Quite frankly, it is unbelief for one to reason about God without consulting the Scripture, to demonstrate a life based on feelings rather than God’s Word, and to engage in Christian service without knowing the biblical principle and method required in that service.

Christianity, true Christianity, is not what we assume it to be; it is what God has said that it is. It is not subjective to man’s reasoning or empirical to his feelings. Christianity is what the Bible claims it to be. It is time we stop thinking outside of the biblical box and start allowing the Scripture to reason its message within us. Then, we will have the power because we will “come to the knowledge of the truth.”

–Dr. Bruce Barnes

For a variety of reasons, we are going to experiment on just having The Plumbline online in this new format. It will be much more cost effective overall, and it will also provide readers the opportunity to interact with articles that appear here. In addition, many of the ministries sending articles to The Plumbline have websites much more up-to-date than any of the published editions. Here, links will go directly to these websites where readers can get first-hand information from the sources themselves. Of course, the state website will also serve to assist in this area.

Appearing at the top of this page, there are different tabs categorizing the articles. Some of the pages are empty right now simply because of the new format; over time, all the pages will include articles separated by basic approach.

I would be pleased to get some reader feedback. Please use the comment box below; of course, all comments will be moderated before publishing.